By Nicole Cosentino, Special Writer
MONROE — Monroe Village, a local continued care retirement community for the elderly located on David Brainerd Drive, recently earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC).
CARF was founded in 1966 and provides international accreditation for health and human service providers, according to its official website.
”Accreditation tells current and prospective residents we are committed to offering the highest possible quality and care,” Monroe Village Executive Director John Rauner said. “It says that we set high standards of excellence and seek to have them affirmed by independent experts.”
The facility, which houses 348 residents in its three facilities that consist of private apartments, an assisted living center, and a nursing center, is also part of Springpoint Senior Living, which is New Jersey’s leading provider of senior housing and care, according to Mr. Rauner.
Presbyterian ministers founded Springpoint in 1916 in hopes of providing non-profit housing to senior widows, according to the organization’s website.
Springpoint owns and operates 23 senior communities throughout New Jersey. Monroe Village is one of its five full service retirement communities in addition to 18 affordable housing communities in other parts of the state, the website stated.
According to Springpoint’s 2011 annual report, the organization employs approximately 1,500 people and houses approximately 3,500 residents. Springpoint’s headquarters is located at 13 Roszel Road in Princeton, and is run by Chief Financial Officer Gary T. Puma.
Springpoint owns about $540 million in assets, has about $1.8 million in fundraising revenue, and also spends about $22.4 million on capital projects, according to the annual report.
The non-profit organization is now New Jersey’s leading provider of senior housing and care, according to its official website. “Nearly all residents of Monroe Village are from New Jersey,” Mr. Rauner said. “A majority come from within a five-mile radius, and about half come directly from Monroe Township.”
According to Mr. Rauner, the facility employs a total of 234 workers.
Monroe Village obtained the accreditation by submitting an application to CARF and allowing a survey team from the organization to interview residents, evaluate the facility’s standards, review documents, and interview personnel.
Each of the steps to gain the distinction are explained on CARF’s website.
”CARF-CCAC accreditation is just one of many ongoing improvement initiatives that keep us constantly setting higher goals for quality and excellence,” Mr. Rauner said. “Our residents are our family, and we always look for ways to serve them better.”
The accreditation will last five years before needing to be renewed, according to Mr. Rauner.

